Have you heard this before?
Your inner world creates your outer world.
I interpret this to mean that what we feel, how we see our lives and process it, affects us more than where we physically are, or what we're actually doing.
Kind of like attitude is everything.
A few years ago I was skiing in Colorado. It was a crisp sunny day in the high 40s, the snow conditions were perfect and I was surrounded by my loved ones. But as I rode up the chair lift I felt terrible, in a funk. Inside of me was like a gray, gloomy day.
Maybe it was the stark contrast that I was experiencing in that moment -- between being in such a gorgeous place, surrounded by green trees and mountain vistas -- and feeling so dark inside.
Something finally clicked and I saw vividly how my inner world was clouding over and coloring my outer world.
I even pointed it out to myself. "What reason exactly do you have to feel disconnected, shut off or unhappy?"
"None."
"Are you not in a magnificent place doing your favorite activity ever? Is this day not exquisite and aren't you lucky to be here enjoying it?"
Part of me wanted to say no -- but I couldn't really. I did not have even one legitimate excuse for being in a gray mood other than maybe my hormones.
So I made a conscious decision to shift out of it. To allow the sun to shine not just around me but from within me too and burn away all of that gray matter that was clouding my vision and making me unhappy.
If you've ever been in this kind of situation, you know what I'm talking about.
Here are a few reminders to help you transition back into a more positive mindset.
1. You Are In Charge of Your Thoughts
No one else but you thinks in your brain! We always have the ability to change what we think and feel -- the trick is to become aware of it -- just like I did that day on the chair lift.
When we can catch ourselves, then we can make a change.
Use affirmations to help you shift your thinking from lack to abundance, from negative to positive.
One I often start with is I am safe and I am loved.
Others that can be helpful include: All of life loves and supports me. I am one with the world. I can relax and know that I am taken care of.
2.Create the Inner World You Desire
When we look for connection, acknowledgement or love from outside of ourselves, we inevitably feel disappointed. Why?
Because all of those ways of feeding us are temporal, changing and finite. And contrary to what we might want to believe, the hole within can only be filled by us, with self love.
Instead, we have to become everything we think we want from others and from the world.
- Love
- Abundance
- Creativity
- A Great Partner
- A Supportive Friend
If we embody those traits, they will not only flow out of us but attract them to us. Like attracts like.
3. Develop A Spiritual Practice
For me, the only thing that really matters is my practice.
It's how I stay sane and catch myself when I get caught in the chaos of the world -- when I forget that my outer world is simply a reflection of my inner work.
What do I do?
Mostly, I meditate and pray. I think of them as going hand in hand.
Prayer is asking for what I want -- for myself, for loved ones, and for the world. I pray for guidance and clarity, I pray for health and I pray for world peace and sustainability.
And I meditate.
If prayer is about asking, then meditation is about listening.
Listening for the answers, for the guidance and wisdom. And remembering.
Meditation brings me back into the silence, the one-ness, the connection to all.
The next time you find yourself in an internal fog, remember that there are tools available to you.
Observe those thoughts and feelings. If any of them have merit, delve into those and identify the cause, but if they don't, use affirmation, prayer and meditation to help shift you back to where you most want to be.
In a loving and supportive mind, viewing the world as full of opportunity and adventure.
Shakti Sutriasa is the Founder of DecideDifferently.com, offering life coaching, counseling and workshops that combine modern psychology and spirituality. Shakti is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and has an MA in Education. To learn more Click Here